Family and faith help Brockton family succeed in Hollywood

Sunday

Aug 24, 2014 at 12:01 AM

Four years after leaving his Brockton home for Los Angeles, Jaheem Toombs has finally managed to get his big break. The 12-year-old singer, actor and entertainer landed a lead role in Nickelodeon’s new show “100 Things to Do Before High School.”

Four years after leaving his Brockton home for Los Angeles, Jaheem Toombs has finally managed to get his big break. The 12-year-old singer, actor and entertainer landed a lead role in Nickelodeon’s new show “100 Things to Do Before High School.”“I’m just ready, I’m having so much fun,” said Toombs. “This is my dream.”

Toombs will play Fenwick, one of a trio of best friends braving the world of middle school. Toombs says that when he set out for California, this is exactly where he wanted to be. “I love Nickelodeon, and now I’m doing it. It’s kind of surreal.”

The show has already been picked up for 26 episodes. “Nickelodeon has a lot of faith in us,” he said. “It’s kind of crazy right now. I used to watch the Kids Choice Awards on TV and now I’m going to it.”

Toombs’ success can obviously be attributed to his talents, but what separates him from the pack is his dedicated family. Four years ago, driven by faith and passion, Jaheem and his family decided to leave their comfy home in Brockton to pursue Jaheem’s dreams of making it onto Nickelodeon.

“The first year was a real struggle,” said Jaheem’s mother, Nicole. “We left our dream home in Brockton and started off in a studio. Now we’re in a two-bedroom apartment. It was a challenge.”

She says she has no regrets, though; she knew when he was younger that Jaheem was destined for life in the spotlight.

“He was 4 years old and his first play was at the Greater Love Tabernacle Church in Dorchester. He had a lead role imitating his pastor (William B. Dickerson). He did it so well that the whole church – we all knew, this child had to do this for a living.”

Seeing this aptitude for acting, his family entered him into several local competitions to see how he sized up. Jaheem participated in the International Presentation of Performers in Boston. He did so well that he was flown to California to compete against people from all over the world. It was there that Jaheem caught the eye of agents and managers from Hollywood and his future started to take shape.

“My son loves people, he loves to entertain. We had to carefully consider it,” his mom said.

The Toombs family eventually decided to search for the Hollywood dream. The move wasn’t easy though.

“We were very active in the Boston community,” said Nicole Toombs. “This was a faith walk, but we made it through prayer and faith and knowing we’re here for a bigger purpose.”

The new lifestyle was full of challenges, but with faith and family, they have managed to prosper. Jaheem’s father, Anthony, a musician and teacher, started working with Life Is Good, a prayer-based community service program, and Nicole left teaching to work with Jaheem full time.

Nicole now accompanies Jaheem at all his social events and helps him select the roles they feel fit him best. She keeps him centered, focused, and most of all, safe.

So far, the Toombs family has managed to become a symbol of how to do Hollywood right. Nicole joined a local group of parents who also have children in the industry. “We help each other. Protect the family. Make sure that’s the most important thing, not success. Family and God first.”

For now, Jaheem is enjoying the fruits of success and the love of his family. Production for “100 Things to do Before High School” begins this fall.